''The Verve Pipe'' is the third studio album by Michigan rock band
the Verve Pipe
The Verve Pipe is an American rock band from Michigan. It was formed in 1992 in East Lansing by Brian Vander Ark, Brian Stout and Donny Brown.
History
In November 1992, Brian Vander Ark of the band "Johnny with an Eye" signed a production dea ...
, released on July 27, 1999. The band's second release for
RCA Records
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
, the album followed the platinum-selling ''
Villains
A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...
'' and its mammoth single, "
The Freshmen". The band worked with
Soundgarden
Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil (both of whom are the only members to appear in every incarnation of the band), and bassist Hiro Yama ...
producer
Michael Beinhorn
Michael Beinhorn is a North American record producer, composer, author and musician. He has produced albums for Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden, Hole, Violent Femmes and Marilyn Manson.
Career 1977-1983: Early Years, Material, Herbie Hanco ...
and created a generally dark, sonically textured grunge-pop album. The lead single "Hero" received sporadic airplay on
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commerci ...
radio and its video was in rotation on
MTV2 in late summer 1999.
Throughout the album, primary songwriter and singer
Brian Vander Ark comments on the fleeting nature of fame with tracks such as "Supergig" and "Headlines". The song "The F Word" serves as a bittersweet response to the band's success with "
The Freshmen".
The album's cover features a diagram for frog
dissection, with the song titles used as references to various body parts.
Radio and touring
The Verve Pipe mounted a major nationwide tour in support of ''The Verve Pipe'' and lead single "Hero", headlining mid-size venues and playing numerous radio festivals throughout 1999 and into 2000. With the
Nu metal stylings of
Limp Bizkit and
Korn dominating rock radio airwaves, "Hero" failed to connect with a mass audience. The band responded by releasing the album's sonically heaviest track, "Television", as a follow-up single. With no music video and little radio support, "Television" sputtered out quickly, along with record sales.
Track listing
All songs by
Brian Vander Ark unless noted.
#"Supergig" 3:59
#"She Loves Everybody" (Brian Vander Ark, Donny Brown) 3:05
#"Hero" 3:34
#"Television" 2:54
#"In Between" 3:13
#"Kiss Me Idle" 4:46
#"Headlines" 3:44
#"The F Word" 3:28
#"Generations" (Brian Vander Ark, A. J. Dunning, Kyle Jason) 3:38
#"Half a Mind" 4:27
#"She Has Faces" (Donny Brown) 4:46
#"La La" (Brian Vander Ark, Donny Brown) 4:10
References
1999 albums
The Verve Pipe albums
RCA Records albums
Albums produced by Michael Beinhorn
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